


Late Talks

by Kate_ (Cronni)



Series: Entries of the Psionic War Campaign [3]
Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game)
Genre: Blind Character, Entries of the Psionic War Campaign, Gen, Light Angst, Mention of Near Death Experiences, Mild Language, Minor Injuries, mention of cults
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:40:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24361468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cronni/pseuds/Kate_
Summary: Nath wakes up in the middle of the night for a patrol, in the aftermatch of a battle - where a tree burned and they almost died - and finds their cleric still awake - and still angry at him.
Series: Entries of the Psionic War Campaign [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1758601





	Late Talks

It was around four when Nath woke up. He was supposed to be the next guarding their provisory safe house, but quickly gave up after remembering that the newest couple, Lorius and Imoen, was doing the guard for the past hour — deciding to let them have this time for themselves.

But since he was already up, giving a look around at the backside of their provisory safe house before going back to sleep wouldn’t hurt. He was already up, anyway.

A quick patrol around the small fortress’ later, Nath came back inside from the main door — fixed by Strange’s magic — finding Aedin inside the room. The Raven Queen’s Cleric was sitting on one of the table’s bench, head resting on her arms in the table, her crow perched on a chair nearby. The human thought she was sleeping, starting to talk towards the improvised and shared bedroom in the other room when her voice startled him.

“A little late for night walks, bard.”

“ _For fucks’ sake, you almost killed me here_ – I mean, not really, but whatever,” he turned, deciding to delay his trip do the room to sit in front of her, frowning. “What are you doing still up? You looked kinda exhausted after using that much of spells back there.”

“I am exhausted,” her voice was lower, like a wolf’s growl, and it took a moment for Nath to realize that she was speaking in her mother’s tongue – _Infernal._ “and all of this thanks to you.”

Nath raised an eyebrow.

“Me?”

“The plan was yours,” the retort came simply, like it was obvious, and it took a second or two before the realization came.

Oh, right– the tree plan. He was almost forgetting about that at this point, focusing in other things – like their travel. _At least it was a fun thing._

But he knew that the tiefling wasn’t just making a statement – it was an _accusation_.

“Why are you so pissed, though? We didn’t die–” The simple statement was interrupted when a fleeting thought crossed his mind, “well, a tree died– but we stopped the Druids plan! They won’t invade Baldur’s Gate anymore. We won.”

“This is not the point here, Nathbrand.”

Aedin straightened in the bench and, without her armor, Nath could be the consequences of the battle on the cleric. The Druids wanted them to burn with the place, and lacerations from the vines that grappled the group at the tree were still there, healing slowing – but none of them were superficial, and Nath still remembers the healing magic used.

He had some marks himself, almost totally healed at this point, but the blood on their weapons and armors weren’t something that would get out so easily. It never did before, and it never will – everyone knows that there’s no time for that, even though they pretend otherwise.

And like destiny wanted to fuck with them even more, there was more fight coming for them in a few hours.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a rustle of wings, and soon the crow was there, between them, looking at him like it was staring at his _soul_.

“You thought that jumping inside a lake, making yourself invisible to set a tree full of Shar’s cultists on fire without warning us was a good idea. People got hurt and it could have been worse–”

“But it wasn’t–”

“So you’re thinking that all fights that we engage are worth it just because we maybe will not die? Are you fucking insane? Some plans aren’t worth the risk, and if you want to be a king, learn that.”

“You talk like you have any fucking experience,” Nath snapped, retorting with the same anger in Aedin’s voice, finger pointed at her, “Why do you try so much to be the savior here? We don’t need overprotection– we can be just fine by ourselves. You talk like you have a _necessity_ of being responsible for us–”

“No, I don’t have a necessity– but if it wasn’t by someone’s reckless mistakes– If someone had being at least a little responsible– _I would have my fucking vision right now_.”

Nath closed his mouth, another angry answer dying in his throat. It was weird to not know her expressions because of the blindfold, but the choked retort from seconds ago and the tense shoulders told him that she was not pleased with the way this discussion was going _at all_.

_Fighting at this point was useless_. Letting the anger subdue inside himself, Nath tried to change the subject for now. But he was a curious person, nonetheless, and letting the new subject die wasn’t just his thing.

Their personal pasts weren’t a topic discussed between any of them, after all.

“You never told us what happened with you. Why are you– Like that?” He waved towards his own eyes, knowing the crow was still watching him.

“It’s not worth it. Besides, we don’t have the time for old stories.”

It was clear she was trying to drop the subject, but he tried to insist. “We had before.”

“In the very beginning, when we were still in a safer territory– and with more time.”

“This– It’s true, but– doesn’t matter. C’mon, you can tell me, I’m listening.”

Aedin gave an emotionless laugh. “Now? Now you listen to me?”

“Yeah, I mean–”

“You should be resting, not fighting. It’s going to wake up the others at this rate.”

Nath startled at the sudden interruption, looking over his shoulder and spotting Max’s silhouette leaning on the doorway.

The male tiefling sighed, exhaustion clear in his slow tone – and also Infernal. “C’mon, it’s late. You guys can talk whatever you want later. We have a mine to investigate in a few hours, and it’s probably not empty.”

The bard was still curious about the cleric’s past, though. “But–”

“Apologies for disturbing you, Max,” Aedin interrupted, voice surprisingly calm, like she wasn’t almost screaming at him moments before, “I will head to sleep now– As soon as Nath leaves.”

“But– but–” Nath groaned, frustrated that he had already lost his opportunity, “alright then. It wasn’t worth it anyway.”

Max was already gone when he got up, and Aedin went back to the position on the bench she was sleeping in. He thought about leaving the subject to another day. Or maybe just drop it and not speak about it again. It wasn’t his problem, after all – it was her life, not his, and her blindness wasn’t his concern.

By the next day, the new fights would make the bard forget the earlier one. They had more important things to focus on – like their end goal. Things would be the same as always, anyway.

Nath thinks that, from there, they couldn’t go lower. Aedin would think otherwise.

In the end, the cleric wanted to be the wrong one in this dilemma.


End file.
